So, this is how a Milennial sees a solution to the "Living Wage" issue....

a reply to: Puppylove

And once everyone has their "basic needs met" don't you think those who have been given everything will look to those who still yet have more and say "Now I deserve that"

Where does it end?

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: tothetenthpower

One thing I learned my friend in years of posting on this site is to double and triple check your sources, lest you end up looking foolish.

I don't feel foolish, if that's what your trying to say... lol.

The Big Mac index

The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. It "seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible".

The Big Mac Index

In the US they pay $4.79US for a big Mac. In Australia we pay $3.79US for a big mac... according to the big mac index.

To me, it seems like a realistic comparison to what an 'everyday' person would pay for a 'everyday' commodity in either country.

@Tenth:
What was that old joke someone else posted elsewhere on ATS?
"A banker, a worker, and a poor person are sitting around a table with twenty cookies. The banker takes nineteen of them, and says to the worker while motioning to the poor person "Watch out, he might take your cookie.""

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Oh, you think you're angry?

If this generation has some sort of "problem", it was entirely created by the people who came before us. The failed economy, the environmental problems, the terrible healthcare, the wars, and the poverty, even our perception of the world. All of it. So call us idealistic, call us unrealistic, but don't you DARE call us entitled. I had to go off at Metallicus about this, I don't want to have to do it again. Some people might be entitled, but the same is true of every previous generation too. Have you ever heard of blaming the victim? This is exactly what it looks like.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

You don't think the cost of living will just increase with the minimum wage increase? Why would McDonalds not turn around and say "okay well I guess that 1$ double-chee is $3 now"?

I lost hours because my job didn't want anyone working over a certain amount so they didn't have to provide insurance or something like that...How is the response of business owners going to be any different than in that situation?

Tax the rich you say? Sure you can for awhile, but the rich are the ones with the resources to pack up and move elsewhere, or more importantly move around their money. They won't stick around if they feel they are being taken advantage of, and when they go so does the $$$.

Things should be cheaper. It's NOT like it was in the 60's,70's, and 80's. My father bought a house at 18 off a full time job at Pizza Hut (WTF) I make 3x what he made back then and can barely afford an apartment in the ghetto. I understand that struggle. I choose to accept my lot in life and try to work out of it instead of wasting time yelling at an unfair system to start playing fair.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

SlapMonkey,

May I suggest that it is possible that the way you were raised, despite your protestations, HAS made you somewhat unrealistic about life in this century? Because I have to tell you, I have seen quite a bit of the thin end of the wedge, and I have worked my balls off my whole adult life. Effort is not enough, will is not enough, and even a combination of the both of those with a genius level IQ is not enough to produce success... It is a LIE. It may be one you were led to believe, but it is still a lie.

a reply to: Bennyzilla

My father bought a house at 18 off a full time job at Pizza Hut (WTF) I make 3x what he made back then and can barely afford an apartment in the ghetto.

The reason - a country run by greedy people. They have convinced people that it is OK.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Try living in or wearing your Big Mac and give me a call.

Australia is the 5th most expensive place to live and the housing and clothing costs are much higher than the United States.

a reply to: Bennyzilla

You don't think the cost of living will just increase with the minimum wage increase? Why would McDonalds not turn around and say "okay well I guess that 1$ double-chee is $3 now"?

That's not what we've seen here in countries that have a proper minimum wage. It's about 10.50$ an hour here in New Brunswick I think and the cost of a BigMac here is the same as it is in Ontario where they have a slightly higher minimum wage.

So no, I think the whole fear of the increase being passed off onto consumers is exaggerated.

How is the response of business owners going to be any different than in that situation?

Most businesses can't afford to do that. And why is it, that corporate greed is somehow a reflection of the government's policies?

I choose to accept my lot in life and try to work out of it instead of wasting time yelling at an unfair system to start playing fair.

And I commend you, but this is an ongoing trend, imagine what your kids will have to pay and at with what kind of wages they will have to pay it with?

If we just keep passing the buck to the next generation, eventually there wont' be one.

~Tenth

Let's say we did this. How much is "base pay"? $25,000? Yeah, let's go with that just for a starting point.
351 million people X 25 grand a year.................................................................................................................................................. .hang on, gotta take my shoes off........................................................................I need more fingers and toes.....................................................................

$8,775,000,000,000

I don't see this workin' out. You'd have to tax people and corporations almost 9 trillion a year.

Let's cut it way down to $10,000.
You still get 3,510,000,000,000.
3.5. trillion a year. They don't collect anywhere near that now. And you wanna see jobs gone? The big corporations will be gone in a flash if you tried this. Take away their govt teat and tax breaks....byebye.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

All excellent points, It's really good to hear that prices of everything didn't increase with the minimum wage in other countries. I've spent a lot of time being very upset about the state of the world but it feels like yelling into a black hole most of the time.

I agree something needs to be done to make it better or at least halt the trend of it continually getting worse.

I do honestly believe there is a small percentage of the American pop. that needs to be educated in the value of hard work but many are waking up to what Brit said "Effort is not enough, will is not enough, and even a combination of the both of those with a genius level IQ is not enough to produce success... It is a LIE. It may be one you were led to believe, but it is still a lie." and just checking out of the working world all-together.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Cost of clothing is irrelevant to someone who buys there clothes on the internet and the cost of housing is only ridiculously over priced for people who want to live a few kms from a major city centre. Its seriously not that expensive to live here, if your prepared to live by your means.

Take it from someone who actually lives here, rather than your silly little graphs... which rely heavily on the cost of high priced hotels, restaurants and taxi's... All things that mean nothing to minimum wage earners.

Just give the government 100% of everything and then the government can give you an allowance.

That should satisfy the entitlement / communist weenies.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

No matter how you want to try and rationalize it Australia is still the 5th most expensive place to live on the planet.

And my 'silly little graphs' are facts, not anecdotal evidence as confirmed by other members.

Oh, and look at the price of purchasing a residence both in and out of a city center, they are both dramatically higher than the United States. Facts do not lie.

Buy Apartment Price

Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre
787.78 A$ (573.26 $) 282.23 A$ (205.38 $) -64.17 %

Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre
537.93 A$ (391.45 $) 188.81 A$ (137.40 $) -64.90 %

a reply to: DAVID64

Well that depends. A serious capitalist tycoon would take a pay cut to ensure the longevity of their company, if they really believed in its product, its workforce, and its viability. Also, having all these companies artificially boost their earning power by skewing the market and the tax law in their favour is not sensible or helpful when one is about the business of creating a society where work actually pays, and where everyone has some to do. You have to understand that if a company literally cannot operate unless it is heavily subsidised or given freebies somehow, then that company SHOULD fail, because capitalism is survival of the fittest bottom line. If those companies need a government crutch to remain viable, then they are not capitalist entities in their own right, but extensions of government by proxy, and that is the antithesis of capitalism.

a reply to: DBCowboy

You... Really don't have a single clue what you're talking about, do you? No one I've seen is saying the Government should have 100% of everything, and anyone who does say that is stupid. We all know there shouldn't be any Government at all. Zero regulation, all firefighting, policing, and military agencies should be run by private, for-profit entities. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
And my 'silly little graphs' are facts, not anecdotal evidence as confirmed by other members.

Which proves nothing except that 'luxury' items cost more here... Which kind of makes sense really, since low income earners have more to spend than low income earners in the states.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
Which proves nothing except that 'luxury' items cost more here... Which kind of makes sense really, since low income earners have more to spend than low income earners in the states.

Wrong. Almost ALL items cost more there, otherwise Australia would not be the 5th most expensive place to live.

originally posted by: Eilasvaleleyn
a reply to: DBCowboy

You... Really don't have a single clue what you're talking about, do you? No one I've seen is saying the Government should have 100% of everything, and anyone who does say that is stupid. We all know there shouldn't be any Government at all. Zero regulation, all firefighting, policing, and military agencies should be run by private, for-profit entities. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

There's an old joke.

A man goes to a woman and says, "Would you sleep with me for a million dollars?"
The woman replies, "Yes!"
The man the says, "Would you sleep with me for 10 dollars?"
The woman says, "No! What kind of woman do you take me for!"
The man says, "We already know what kind of woman you are, now we're just negotiating price."


If a segment of our society already wants government to tax more and pay out basic living checks, then we already know what kind of person they are, now we're just negotiating price.

a reply to: TrueBrit

The largest issue is that by far the most profitable course of action for a large corporation to take tend to be ones that detract from society as a whole. You could invest a few million into R&D to potentially create a new product to sell, or improve a current one thus increasing demand and increasing income by thirty million... Or, you could invest a few million into politicians and government puppets, get them to cut taxes, and increase income by a good one or two billion.

The biggest issue we face today is corporate corruption in government. Eliminating it may not solve everything instantly, but what it will do is make it so that solutions are worked towards. Climate change won't be denied. Glass Steagal will be re-enacted. Things like the TPP won't happen.

We will still, of course, have the issues of the media affecting people's opinions and trying to get them to vote for corporate-favored candidates, however, with alternative news becoming vastly more popular that may eventually cease to be a problem.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I fail to see your point.
Is it that "everyone has a price"?
Is it that "women are whores?"

It really isn't that coherent.

Strictly speaking, something like this will eventually need to happen if the current course of society isn't averted, it's just a question of "when". What happens when there's only one job for every ten people, because all the rest have been replaced by machinery?
Someone's worth shouldn't be measured by their job.